It served an assortment of projects, such as energy, mining, and transport infrastructure, in 84 countries and regions worldwide. Many of these are part of the Belt and Road Initiative, which is Beijing’s policy to expand its global trade and influence through economic undertakings across Asia and Europe. The initiative includes not only infrastructure and industrial projects, but also financial transactions with insurers, banks, and other companies.

Chinese outbound investments grew 4.2% in 2018, reaching US$129.83 billion, according to government data. Overseas contract projects reported revenues of US$169.04 billion dollars and addition of around 842,000 local jobs.